Lost islands in the Med

The ultimate way to discover Greece is to cruise from one small island to another.
Tussock Cruising sails to Greek, hidden drops in the Med with names like Kalymnos, Arki and Fourni... Extreme slow traveling with only the wind deciding which way to go and what to do (or not to do). Tussock Cruising is the only "Gulet" organisation who actually sails during a trip. Every day, sometimes the whole day long the sails are up and the only sound is the wind pushing the boat forward. This is by far the best way to relax, unwind and of course see and experience Greece (and Turkey) from a very unique and non-touristy side.

Swiss scores high in the sky

There's long haul flying and there's business class long haul flying...For those fortunate enough, flying business brings almost back the joy of traveling. Swiss International Air Lines is doing a good job on their Europe-South-America route. At least they give an option for those completely traumatised because of flying with Iberia. They have a Taste of Swisterland foodie programm on board which translates into decent, light and tastefull food and a good selection of wines. In 2009 they will introduce a 2 meter lie-flat bed and even more gadgets like iPod docking stations. Now it's just a matter of time untill the Swiss also realise that internet in the air is just a bear necessity.

The Oberoi Zahra, new style river cruising

Without a doubt the best way to experience Egypte is to cruise along the Nile. Even just being docked along the quay in Aswan gives a special oasis sensation, hectic noise of the bustle of the city included. The new style to cruise the Nile is boarding the ultra-luxurious Nilecruiser the Oberoi Zahra. Sleek, minimal, stylish (only too bad about the fake woods on the floor). Every room has floor-to-ceiling windows, even the bathrooms. She has dedicated private mooring places to avoid the hectic piers where all the other cruisers board. Of course the Zahra comes with a price but for those who can stand the sizzling heat of the Egyptian summermonths the Zahra offers a reasonable price. After all, Egypt is all about the desertheat and that special steamy atmosphere.

Nomads of the Seas, flyfishing in No-man's-land

Today my article about Nomads of the Seas got published in De Tijd, the financial newspaper in Belgium. A good reason to look back at this unique sailingtrip we did a good month ago. We cruised around the area of Puerto Montt in northern Patagonia on what is by any doubt one of the most high-tech ships in the world. Owner Andres Ergas made sure the hardware for this flyfishing expedition is top-end: 25 milion dollar boat, US Army zodiac of one milion, state-of-the-art helicopter,... Definately the ultimate way to discover this end of the world and most of all, to (learn how to) flyfish. Mister Ergas is quite ambitious and is planning more ultimate experience places all over Chile. From ultra-skiing in the Andes to going deep into the Atacama desert. Will be interesting to follow that. On the other hand, tourism and hospitality in South-America is growing so fast, that even a high-end project like Nomads is suffering from growing pains. My feeling is they have to make sure that the software, or the people running these operations, is as good as their hardware. I guess they still have some fine-tuning to do. Let's keep an eye on that!

Valparaiso, the creativity of a harbour city

What we sometimes miss in Antwerp is that special harbour-city feel. You know that the harbour is there, but it's far away from the citycenter and the hussle and bussle of the coming and going of the ships is missing. Here in Valparaiso, you look out of the window and you see the city below and a bit further the sea and it's busy harbour. You hear and even smell the port. In the hills of Valparaiso, especially in Cerro Alegre and Cerro Conception, life goes a lot slower than down in the city center. Narrow street, colorful houses, more and more restaurants and bars...Good addresses to sleep are the newly opened Zero Hotel and a bit further down the road Casa Higueras. The last one offers a bit more classe with a nicely designed swimmingpool and a good restaurant with fantastic terrace and view on the city and port. A good up-to-date guidebook to discover the city is the blog Corrugated City. Matt moved from England to South-Amerika and made it's way from Quito to Buenos Aires and finally ended here in Valparaiso.

Autumn in the Colchagua Valley in Chile

One of the most attractive things about Chile is it's diversity in landscapes, climate, atmosphere and overall feeling. We went from chilly and wet Patagonia to dry and hot Atacama and now it's the Colchagua Valley near Santiago de Chile that is getting under our skin. Why? Surely the place, the Clos Apalta vineyard and it's guesthouse or rather villa style hotel, which is the main reason why we like this area so much. The views over the vineyards with all the autumn colors are specaculair. The wine and the food here are great. The services comes with a big S. The owners are the Grand Marnier family and they brought European expertise to the rich and fertile vineyards of Chile. A great place for tasting and experiencing how Chile made it's way from a winecountry which was not that specaculair to a deserved spot on the A-list of good wine. When you visit Clos Apalta, make sure to have a chat with the Chilean winemaker Andrea Leon. She will explain about the fact that the vineyards are bio-dynamic and organic and how this contributes to the very good Clos Apalta wines.

Today my weekly travel pages moved from De Morgen Magazine, the weekend extra, to the newspaper De Morgen itself. The new travel section is called Vamos (very curious what the readers will think of it). It's a bit like ending a relationship, or saying goodbye to a good, old friend. I've been writing almost every week about travel for De Morgen Magazine since two years. I liked it. I still like it of course. Also the people who work for it are cool. They are dedicated and are honnest to their contributors as well to the readers. I will miss writing every week for DMM.